Reversible fulcrum



June 5, .1923.

' 1,457,334 L. L. WHITNEY REVERSIBLE FULGRUM Filed 17 192-1 "1, J5 m112mm iz fir, MZM M 39 Patented June 5, 1923s UNITE- ST 1.457.33 PATENTQFFPICEEY LoEEN L. WHITNEY, or HAMMOND, INDIANA, assrenoa r0 AMERICANs'rEEE rounnEIEs, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERS Y."

. REVERSIBLE FULORUM.

To all whom it may concern:

1 Be i known that I, LoREN LhWHEETNEY, a'citizen of the United States,:residlng'at tion.

This invention relates .to fulcrums and more particularly to fulcrums ofthe reversible type. Y

' Many reversible fulcrums in use satisfactorily provide the reversiblefeature but permit a certain amount of lost motion in connections, whichis extremely detrimental to its other and important function to a brakebeam, that is, the function as a strut of the brake beam truss.'Manyreversible fulcrums in use also are comparatively diflicult toassemble satisfactorily. I

One object of mypresent invention is to provide a simple reversiblefulcrum which is easy to assemble and disassemble and which, whilepermitting the necessary rotative or reversing'movement eliminateslongitudinal lost motion from the joints which permit reversibility.

Another object is to provide a reversible fulcrum adapted to meet thevariousrequire- 'ments under service conditions; i -These and other obects ZLI'G'fiCCOIHPllShGd by means of the arrangement disclosed on theaccompanying sheet of drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary topplan view of a brake beam of the truss typeembodying my invention; I

Figure 2 is'a side elevation of the fulcrum with a" part thereof insection,-the tension and compression members of the-brakebeam alsobeingshown in section; I

Figure 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational crum; t

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line 14 of Figure 2,with the fulcrum in its central position; and:

Figure 5 is a similar sectional view taken in the same plane showing thefulcrum in one of its operative positions.

The various novel features of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and drawings and will be par ticularly pointed outin the appended claims.

Referring to the figures of the drawings,

7 Application filed August 17, 1921. Seria1 No. 493,011.

it will be noted that Ihavedisclosed my invention in connection with. abrake beam of the truss type having acompression member 10., a tensionmember 11, and fulcrum'12'extending therebetween' The" fulcrum includestwo spaced arms 113Ybetween which a brake. beam leverv may be pivoted bythe use of a pin, not shown, extendingthrou h it and-the openings 14 insaid arms 13.. e l

. rear endof these arms joinin a barrel portion 15 which terminates iniahead 16 which aligned grooves22 and 23 which commun'i 'cate with anopening 24 extending through the forward part'of the'pin 20. A wedge key25 is driven through the grooves22 and 23 and through-the opening 24 mthe pin 20 whereby the head 16 of the barrel portion- 15 is forced intofrictional engagement with the inner surface of the Web 17"ofthe-com,pression member 10' andthe head 21 is 1 pressed into frictionalengagement with the outer surface of the web 17 of the compre'ssion'member 10. As a result thereof all lost pletely taken up and at thesame'time'the fulcrum bracket is frictionally-h'eld' a sufficient amountto retain the fulcrum bracket in any adjusted posit-ion and to preventac p cidental movement of said fulcrumv bracket view of the brake beamshowing the fulwith respectto the compression memberwmotion between theparts in question iscon'o- Y i While it is desired to reverse thisfulcrum Y from its right hand position to its left hand position andvice versa, it is also desired to prevent the fulcrum from anglingbeyond a.

s p ovided. with :opening 29 through which the projection 30 of thetension rod saddle 31 extends. In this particular in stance the saddleis provided with upstanding cars 32' for attachment to any suitablesupporting hanger; s

It is my intention to cover all modifications of the invention fallingwithin the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a brake beam, the combination of a .compression member, a fulcrumbracket having an end' in frictional engagement with said compressionmember, a pin extending through said compression member and fulcrumbracket and having a head frictionally engaging said compression member,and means for pressing said fulcrum bracket and the head of said pininto engagement with said compression member to yieldably maintain thefulcrum bracket in adjusted position. v

2. In a brake beam, the combination of a compression member, areversible fulcrum bracket having an end in frictional engagementwith'said compression member, means extending through said compressionmember and' associated with said fulcrum bracket,

and means forforcing the aforesaid means and sa1d fulcrum bracket intofrlctional engageinentwith said compression member for yieldably'retainingthe fulcrum bracket in adjusted position.

In a brake beam, the combination of a compression member, a reversiblefulcrum bracket having an end 1n frictional engagement-"with'saidcompression member, means extending through said compression member andassoclated with sa1d fulcrum bracket,

means for forcing the aforesaid means and said fulcrum bracket intofrictional engagement with said compression member for yieldablyretaining the fulcrum bracket in adjusted position, and means forlimiting reversible movements of said fulcrum bracket.

l. In a brake beam, the combination of a compression member, a tensionmember, a fulcrum, bracket extending therebetween and having an end infrictional engagement with one of sa1d members, means extending throughone of said members and as ,sociated with said fulcrum bracket, and

means for pressing the aforesaid means and said fulcrum bracket intofrictional engagement with one of said members for yieldably retainingsaid fulcrum bracket in adjusted position.

5. In a brake beam, the combination of a compression member, a tensionmember, a fulcrum bracket extending therebetween and having an end infrictional engagement with one of said members, means extending throughone of said members and associated with said fulcrum bracket, means forpressing the aforesaid means and said fulcrum bracket into frictionalengagement with one of said members for yieldably retaining said fulcrumbracket in adjusted position, and means for limiting said fulcrumbracket in its reversible movements;

6. In a brake beam, the combination of a compression member, areversible fulcrum bracket, frictional means, and means forforcing aportion of said fulcrum bracket and said frictional means againstopposite sides of said compression member for yieldably retaining thefulcrum bracket in adjusted position.

7. In a brake beam, the combination of a compression member, areversible fulcrum bracket having an end in frictional engagementtherewith andprovided with means cooperating with said compressionmember for limiting reversible movements with respect thereto,frictional means, and means for forcing said frictional means and theend of said fulcrum bracket into frictional engagement with saidcompression member for yieldably retaining the fulcrum bracket inadjusted position. I

8. In a brake beam, the combination of a compression member, areversible fulcrum bracket having an end in frictional engagement withsaid compression member, pin extending through said compression memberand fulcrum bracket and having a head friction-ally engaging saidcompression ment her, and a key extending through said ful crum bracketand pin for pressing said fulcrum bracket and the head of said pin intoengagement with said compressionvmember to yieldably retain the fulcrumbracket-in adjusted position. I

Signed at Hammond, Indiana, this 12th day'of August, 1921. a,

LOREN L, WHITNEY

